The Ferguson Recipes – Recipes, Plain & Simple
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The Ferguson Recipes – Recipes, Plain & Simple
Recently Added!
Seolleongtang (Korean Ox Bone Soup)
Some soups are more than a meal — they're a ritual. Seolleongtang is one of Korea's most beloved comfort foods, a milky white ox bone soup that has been simmering in Korean kitchens and street stalls for centuries. The broth gets its signature ivory color and deeply savory richness not from spices…
Seolleongtang (Korean Ox Bone Soup)
🌅 Recipe Of The Day! 🌇
🖨 🖨
Spicy Pesto Pasta
Spicy Pesto Pasta
{Serving suggestion only*}
Click Image to Zoom
Craving restaurant-quality Italian with a spicy twist? This creamy pesto pasta alla vodka delivers bold, vibrant flavors in under 30 minutes. Rich tomato paste mingles with aromatic basil pesto and a splash of vodka (or broth for a non-alcoholic version), creating a luscious sauce that perfectly coats every piece of pasta. The crushed red pepper flakes add just the right amount of heat, while heavy cream mellows everything into silky perfection. Fresh basil and grated Parmesan finish this dish with a burst of herbaceous freshness and umami depth. Whether you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner or an impressive date-night meal, this fusion of classic pesto and vodka sauce techniques will become your new go-to pasta recipe. The best part? You can make the sauce days ahead and store it in the fridge, making this a fantastic make-ahead option for busy schedules. Serve it family-style with extra Parmesan and fresh basil for everyone to customize their bowl. - Claude
No Jump Zone
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup vodka, chicken, or vegetable broth

(continued in the next column ↗️)

3/4 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
1 lb short cut pasta
3 Tbsp salted butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.
When the oil shimmers, add the shallot, garlic, and oregano.
Cook until the shallots begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, cook 4-5 minutes, until thickened.
Stir in the vodka, cook another 2 minutes.
Stir in the pesto and cream.
Season with salt and pepper.
Keep warm over low heat.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
Just before draining, remove 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
Drain.
To the vodka sauce, add the pasta, 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, and the butter, tossing until the butter has melted.
Add the parmesan and basil.
If needed, thin the sauce with additional pasta cooking water.
Divide the pasta among plates and top with basil and cheese.
Servings\Yield
Serves 6
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Per Serving - Calories: 545; Total Fat: 31g (Saturated Fat: 13g); Cholesterol: 60mg; Sodium: 420mg; Total Carbohydrates: 52g (Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 4g); Protein: 13g; Calories from Fat: 279 (51%)
*Nutrition information is provided as a general estimate only. Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients, and is based on available nutrient data. Variations may occur based on ingredient brands and preparation methods.
💬 Uncle Dave says...
Want to prep ahead? You can make the alla vodka sauce up to 4 days in advance and keep it chilled in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, just warm it on the stove and continue with cooking the pasta.
This sauce also freezes beautifully! Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it out when you need it, then use as directed in the recipe.
🧑‍🍳 The Cook:  Dave Ferguson 🔑 Keywords: pasta, pesto, vodka, spicy, italian, dinner
🗂️ Categories: 🍝 Pasta Dishes, 🍝 Italian, ⏱️ Quick Meals, 🍽️ Dinner
📚 Collections: Uncle Dave's Cookbook, The TFR Cookbook
Spicy Pesto Pasta was added on September 20, 2025 and last updated on September 20, 2025.
*Serving suggestion only. 😂 If a food photo doesn't look like it was taken by a monkey named Frank, it was most likely AI generated and not the result of Frank's minimal culinary or photographic skills. Unless you failed the "I'm not a robot" test, your recipes will probably not look like the ones in the pictures. See Creamy Turkey Veggie Soup to read more about AI images.
📄 A Quick Note About The Recipes At The Ferguson Recipes: We love sharing recipes, but please be aware that most haven't been professionally tested in our kitchen or independantly verified. Your safety is important to us, so always practice safe food handling and cooking techniques. Cook smart and use your best judgment! Eggs: If you make a recipe that uses raw eggs, please consider using pasteurized eggs. Allergens: Food allergens have not been identified in each individual recipe. Please use caution if you have any food allergies. Have questions about a specific recipe? Feel free to reach out to us.
Recently Added!
Seolleongtang (Korean Ox Bone Soup)
Some soups are more than a meal — they're a ritual. Seolleongtang is one of Korea's most beloved comfort foods, a milky white ox bone soup that has been simmering in Korean kitchens and street stalls for centuries. The broth gets its signature ivory color and deeply savory richness not from spices…
Seolleongtang (Korean Ox Bone Soup)
Weekly Favorite!
Spicy Pesto Pasta
Craving restaurant-quality Italian with a spicy twist? This creamy pesto pasta alla vodka delivers bold, vibrant flavors in under 30 minutes. Rich tomato paste mingles with aromatic basil pesto and a splash of vodka (or broth for a non-alcoholic version), creating a luscious sauce that perfectly coa…
Spicy Pesto Pasta
👋 Welcome! 👋

When I started The Ferguson Recipes in 2006, my main goal was to create a place where I could collect and present our favorite family recipes in an orderly fashion, without all of the distractions of other recipe sites.

At The Ferguson Recipes you will find recipes, plain and simple, just like the recipe cards you have crammed into that well-worn binder of your family's most beloved recipes.

Many of the recipes included here are Ferguson family favorites passed down through the years. Many more are recipes we have gotten from friends or shamelessly "liberated" from other recipe sites. And a lot of the recipes are from recipe collections which family members have participated in creating, such as "Cooking with Carl, Hugh and your Friends", "Cooking With Cow", "The Sears Sun Cookbook", and more!

Things you WILL and WON’T find at The Ferguson Recipes:
  • You WON’T find a bunch of images. If you need a picture showing you how to stir something, you don't belong in a kitchen!
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Some milestones:

Thanks for visiting The Ferguson Recipes,
Uncle Dave - 8/13/18 (A Palindrome Date) - Updated: 06/29/25

🏛️ Founded April 13, 2006
©️ 2006 - 2026 fergusonrecipes.com
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Yes, many...most...of our food images are AI created. They all faithfully represent the recipe they're attached to. We make no aplogies. Probably 90% of the food images you see in recipes and on food packages are professional food photographs, not something edible that someone actually just cooked. We just skipped the styling and photographer costs by using AI. And we pass the savings on to you. Hahahaha! That's funny because this site is free! 😂😂😂😂😂
👤Our Team???👤
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Uncle Dave
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Claude
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Gem
Chief Magician and Security Officer - He is tempermental and is always running around with pictures of bicycles asking us to prove we are not robots! He also writes code and then blames any mistakes in it on everyone but himself!
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Petey
Recipe Tester - Oh, who are we kidding? There are over 1300 recipes here. We have made maybe 100 of them, and not always edibly so. And look how skinny Petey is!
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Chef Frank (aka Bosco, Sr.)
Head Chef and Food Photographer - He isn't much good at either job, but we had some hiring quotas that needed satisfying.
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Junior Chef Stewie (aka Bosco, Jr.)
Hangs Out Here to Fill the 6th Spot in the Grid - He showed up with his dad and we haven't figured out how to get rid of him...or his dad!
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ℹ️ About TFR: Click me to learn more about The Ferguson Recipes!
🏛️ Founded April 13, 2006
©️ 2006 - 2026 fergusonrecipes.com
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📄Recipe Disclaimer: While The Ferguson Recipes strives to present reliable and delicious recipes, please note that most of the recipes on this site have not undergone rigorous testing or independent verification. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you always follow standard food safety guidelines when preparing any dish. Eggs: If you make a recipe that uses raw eggs, please consider using pasteurized eggs. Allergens: Food allergens have not been identified in each individual recipe. Please use caution if you have any food allergies. If you have any questions or concerns about a specific recipe, please feel free to contact us.
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